Sewing for Kids – Page 2 – The Finished Garment

Valentine’s Day Sewing

This fall, when I made my kids t-shirts there was a lot of extra fabric. So I decided to take all the leftover fabric and make some matching hats for everyone and skirts for the girls.

Slouch beanie sewing pattern from Brindille & Twig, sewn by The Finished Garment. — These kids are always being silly!

I used the Slouch Beanie by Brindille & Twig. It’s a very simple, fast easy project, but the results are just sooooo cute! My kids look like little elves.

The hats are reversible, and they can be worn, as designed, like slouchy skater beanies. It’s great when mum is doing the styling. But my kids usually fold up the bottoms and wear them that way.

The skirt pattern is from Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン　おんなの子服　おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe – legging” (skirt with leggings) in sizes 120, 110, and 90.

The pattern comes with attached capri leggings, which are adorable. But here in the land of Hoth, where tights are pretty much required for six months of the year, they seemed a bit impractical, so I left them out.

Both patterns were super quick projects and I made the hats in a day and the skirts in another.

Project Summary

Patterns:

Slouch Beanie by Brindille & Twig, available in sizes preemie to 6T. I made sizes 5/6 (not shown), 3/4 and 2/3.
Skirt: from Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン　おんなの子服　おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe – legging” (skirt with leggings) in sizes 120 (not shown), 110, and 90.

Fabric: Jersey.
Cost: Hat pattern: 4.50$. Skirt: 0$ (used for another project). Fabric: $0 (leftover from other projects).
Project Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: For the skirt, I did not include the leggings.
Results: Fun, easy sewing.

Turquoise Skater Dresses

In the after-holiday sales I picked up some really bright turquoise French terry. It was only 5$ per metre so I let each kid choose there own piece of clothing. Two chose mini-hudson pants, and two chose the Little Girls’ Skater Dress by Kitschy Coo.

Little Girls' Skater Dress sewing pattern from Kitschy Coo, sewn by The Finished Garment. — This is the size 5/6.

I had been looking at the Skater Dress pattern for a while, but didn’t really have the right fabric. Ideally this would be made in jersey, but I thought the French terry be a little cozier. The dress ends up being great for our current cold weather, but still fun to wear and very comfortable. This French terry has a lot of stretch, which makes the dress very wearable, especially for kids. It’s like your favourite sweatshirt, but it’s a dress.

Unfortunately, it’s been too cold for outdoor photo sessions and the light hasn’t been great lately generally, so you’ll have to settle for less than ideal photos this time around.

I let the kids choose the colour of the contrast cuffs from my scrap bin. The cuffs are so bright, but they do really make the dress. With solid colours for the main part of the dress, they might be a bit plain, without that crazy pop of colour.

The pattern is sized to fit over two years. They fit a bit large. My kids are both at the lower ends of their ranges, but definitely too big to go down a size. I double checked the measurements, and tried the size 5/6 on my normally size 7 kid to check. Next time I might take the dress in a little through the bodice for my skinny girls, especially if I use a heavier fabric again. In jersey, it would probably be fine.

This pattern is a really quick sew. I finished both dresses in an afternoon. The instructions were great and everything came together without any problems. I also have the women’s version of the skater dress, so I’m pretty excited to get to that soon.

Project Summary

Pattern Review: Little Girls’ Skater Dress by Kitschy Coo, available in sizes 18m-8Y (in 4 different sizes).
Fabric: French terry, with jersey cuffs.
Sizes: 5/6 and 7/8.
Cost: Pattern: About 14$. Fabric: $5 per dress.
Project Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: none.
Results: Great. The kids love wearing these.

Arctic Trapper Hats

I live on Hoth. It’s the only way to describe temperatures hovering around -38°C (-36°F). I really wish that were a typo.

Anyway, I saw the weather forecast last week and decided that my babies needed added warmth, so I got these hats and neck warmers sewn up.

Arctic Trapper Hat sewing pattern from See Kate Sew, made by The Finished Garment. — Arctic Trapper Hat and matching neck warmer.

I actually cut these hats out ages ago, but then didn’t get around to them when it was cold, and then didn’t feel motivated when it was warm. It is no longer warm.

The hats are the Arctic Trapper Hat by See Kate Sew. They are two-layer hats with a hipster feel. I added ear flaps, and I used two layers of fleece to make them warmer. The inside is super soft and the outside has a bit of a berber texture. It’s the same fabric I used to make them mittens.

The hats really do fit quite large, so it’s probably good that I waited a year to sew them up (shuffles feet, avoids eye contact).

The hats turned out really well, but there are two things I might change. The ear flaps poke out a little, so I think I’ll get some buttons for them, like the real grown-up versions. And second, I think they might be better with a chin strap so that they stay flat against the ears to keep them warm. Of course, if I didn’t live in Hoth, they would be just great as is. In fact, I may make another set out of corduroy for fall when chin straps are unnecessary.

The neck warmers were made without a pattern, but measure about 10″ by 10″. They also have two layers.

Since all my kids have the same sets, I sewed different coloured ribbons into the seams of the hats and neck warmers so the kids could tell them apart. They picked out the ribbons themselves.

I had these made up for the beginning of January, but it was just too cold and snowy for an outdoor photo shoot. So I had to wait until this week for a balmy -16°C (3°F). Brrrrrr. Where’s my tauntaun?

This post is part of the Stashbusting Sewalong.

Project Summary

Pattern Review: Arctic Trapper Hats by See Kate Sew, available in sizes 12m-8 (in 4 different sizes).
Fabric: Two layers of polar fleece.
Sizes: 12/18m, 3/4, and 5/6.
Cost: Pattern: 6$. Fabric: $0 (leftover from another project).
Project Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I added ear flaps.
Results: Great. This was fast, and I love the hipster look.

Blue Cowl Neck Dress

Back in the fall, I did a round of pattern testing for the Cowl Neck Dress and Sweater by Heidi & Finn. Unfortunately, Kid No 4 did a great job of evading the photo shoot. You can’t reschedule nap time!

Heidi & Finn Cowl Neck Dress sewing pattern, sewn by The Finished Garment. — This is the Heidi & Finn Cowl Neck Dress.

So here are the pics I finally managed to wrangle this fall, just before the weather turned cold and snowy.

This is a really quick pattern to sew and the results are cute and trendy. This was my sixth time sewing this pattern, so for detailed information, please read my original review.

Summary

Pattern Review: Cowl Neck Dress and Sweater by Heidi & Finn, available in sizes 12m-12Y.
Fabric: Ponte de roma.

Ponte de roma in dark teal – (medium-weight knit, 50% Polyester/45% Rayon/5% Lycra).

Sizes: 2T.
Cost: Pattern: 0$. Fabric: About $16.
Sewing Level: Confident beginner.
Modifications: None
Results: Great. This was fast, and I love the trendy look.

Disclaimer: The pattern was generously provided by Heidi & Finn, in return for testing the pattern. As always, my opinions are my own.

Neon Blue Mini Hudson

This year, my only boxing day shopping took place at the fabric shop. I didn’t find much, but there was some gorgeous french terry in a neon turquoise for only 5$ a metre.

I wasn’t sure what to make so I let the kids decide and Kid No 2 and Kid No 4 chose pants. I didn’t have much in the way of knit pant patterns, especially not for fabric this thick, so I bought the Mini Hudson Pant pattern from True Bias.

Mini Hudson Pant sewing pattern from True Bias as sewn by The Finished Garment. — These were a really quick project.

There is a Mini Hudson blog hop going on at the moment if you want to see more versions. I’m not part of it, but since everyone is posting their mini hudsons, and I just made these last week, I figured I’d hurry up and post mine too. You’ll have to excuse me for showing up to the party uninvited.

This pattern makes a drawstring pant that works well with heavier fabric and is cut narrower near the ankle and wider at the hips. I used jersey scraps from two previous projects (coming soon to the blog) in black for my son and hot pink for my daughter. The pink and blue combo is a little bright, but if you can’t wear neon turquoise and hot pink when you are two, when can you?

The pants ended up a little big, but that’s a bonus in my book. The hipster styling isn’t quite as obvious for now, but it won’t be long before the kids grow up an inch or so.

These are really quick to sew and pretty foolproof. The only modification I made was to leave off the drawstring. Kid No 2 doesn’t like fiddly closures, even when they are just decorative and Kid No 4, at two-years-old, doesn’t need the hazard factor. And the only thing I would change in the future would be to make the waistband a bit wider, but just because I like that look.

Once again, these went right into regular circulation and so I didn’t get quite as many photos of the larger pants as I would have liked. My smaller kid was quite happy to mug it up for the camera though.

Summary

Pattern Review: Mini Hudson Pant from True Bias, available in sizes 2T-10.
Fabric:

Neon turquoise french terry.
Cotton spandex jersey in black and fuchsia by Stenzo.

Size: 3 and 7.
Cost: Pattern: $8. Fabric: About $5 per pair of pants.
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I left out the drawstring.
Results: Cute and comfy.

Red Squirrel Dress (Simplicity 2063)

I made the same dress, Simplicity 2063 from the Little Lisette collection by Liesl Gibson, twice over the holidays.

Simplicity 2063 Little Lisette Dress as sewn by The Finished Garment — This dress is finished with bias tape at the arms.

This time I made the size 5, but otherwise, it’s pretty much the same dress as I made previously. Same super soft corduroy, same colourful piping, this time in red and grey.

It’s a nice simple pattern that makes a really cute dress. This one was so popular that no one would sit still for a photo shoot.

Summary

Pattern Review: Simplicity 2063 from the Little Lisette collection by Liesl Gibson, available in sizes 3-8, and now out of print.
Fabric:

Corduroy, in Grey Squirrel by Stenzo.
Kona solid for the flat piping.

Size: 5.
Cost: Pattern: $0 (used once already). Fabric: About $18.
Sewing Level: Adventurous beginner.
Modifications: None.
Results: Really cute and very soft.

A Blue Gnome Dress (Simplicity 2063)

I think I’ve had this pattern (Simplicity 2063 from the Little Lisette collection by Liesl Gibson) in my stash for ages, but I was looking for just the right fabric.

Then I found this cute corduroy online. It’s super soft. The fabric is light-weight but it feels almost like velour. Perfect for little ones.

The pattern is quite simple. It’s an a-line, panel dress with flat piping to set off the panels. It wasn’t difficult. The instructions were good. The bodice is finished with bias tape at the arms, but I think I might prefer a lined bodice next time.

I didn’t make any changes to the pattern. I just followed the pattern instructions.

My youngest is growing so fast that it’s hard to keep up. I made the smallest size, size 3, and hoped it wouldn’t be too big, but it seems just right. Good thing I didn’t try to grade it down a size.

There always seem to be so many events to attend over the holidays, so a new dress is always handy for the kids, especially when it is as cute and comfortable as this one.

Summary

Pattern Review: Simplicity 2063 from the Little Lisette collection by Liesl Gibson, available in sizes 3-8, and now out of print.
Fabric:

Corduroy, in blue.
Kona solid for the flat piping.

Size: 3.
Cost: Pattern: $1. Fabric: About $18.
Sewing Level: Adventurous beginner.
Modifications: None.
Results: Really cute and very soft.

Field Trip Tees for the Kids

I’m not sure how your October was, but mine was crazy! October is when work gets busy, homework piles us and then, Halloween! I managed to get a bit of sewing done for Kids Clothing Week (KCW). But did I get around to blogging it? Of course not.

The Field Trip Raglan T-shirt sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.

I try to sew my kids what they need, so with the approach of crisp fall weather, some long-sleeved tees seemed like a great project. I used the Field Trip Raglan T-shirt pattern by Oliver + S, and sewed it up in sizes 2, 4, and 6.

This is a super fast project. The instructions are great and there are only a few pattern pieces. The only change I made was to add bands to the sleeves. Partly, this was because I like the look, and partly this was because my kids are on the tall skinny size and I wanted to be sure the shirts last through the winter. Next time, I might go up a size, at least for the three bigger kids.

I used my regular sewing machine, as a I don’t have a serger, but this worked really well.

The kids picked these fabrics themselves ages ago. Mostly I used cotton jersey from the Riley Blake collection, but the dark grey is from the Robert Kaufman Laguna collection. The Riley Blake colours are really bright, which I love, and the kids do too.

This pattern looks great colour blocked, especially with stripes. I’m seriously considering copying at least one of these tees using a grown-up pattern.

Jersey is usually about 60″ (150 cm) wide, so I found I had a lot of extra fabric left over. But that just meant that I had enough for a couple more cute projects that I’ll be blogging soon. Yay!

I really, really love these shirts. Even though they were super quick and easy projects, I’m really happy with the results. It’s really hard to find t-shirts that are fun and bright but that aren’t pink with sparkles or covered with logos. I’ll definitely be making more.

This project was part of Kids Clothing Week and the Stashbusting Sew Along.

Summary

Pattern Review: Field Trip Raglan T-shirt by Oliver + S available in sizes 6m-12.
Fabric:

Cotton Jersey in Heathered Knit Pepper from the Laguna collection by Robert Kaufman.
Cotton Jersey in small chevron in aqua, small chevron in rainbow, small dots in red, solid red, and 1/2″ stripes in red, all from the Riley Blake Knits collection.

Sizes: 2, 4, and 6.
Cost: Pattern: (gift). Fabric: About $10/shirt.
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I added bands to the sleeves, and didn’t put pockets on all the shirts.
Results: Amazing. My kids love these shirts and wear them at least once a week.

Forest Birds – A Wildwood Blog Hop

The air is crisp and the leaves are falling. So it’s the perfect time for a fall blog hop.

Fabric from the Wildwood collection, sewing by The Finished Garment. — Ready for the world.

The Warp & Weft Sewing Society have all pitched in to showcase the latest fabric collection by Canadian surface designer Elizabeth Owen. The collection is called Wildwood, and it’s a really quite pretty. The inspiration for the collection was the wild woods of story books, so I was excited to see what would be in my Warp & Weft delivery.

I decided to start with the story of Hansel and Gretel for inspiration, and so I made an outfit for my own “Gretel”, Kid No 1.

I made a simple panel skirt in Essex linen. The pattern is from Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン　おんなの子服　おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe à panneaux” (panel skirt) in size 120. Then I used the Wildwood print to make a matching blouse, McCall’s 6388, using some blue solid for contrast.

And of course Gretel needs a bag to carry her breadcrumbs, so I added a small satchel, the “#7 Sac tube” (tube bag), also from Collection privée filles & garçons. The bag is made in linen and lined with the Wildwood print.

A simple bag from a Japanese pattern book, sewn by The Finished Garment — I love the simplicity of the bag.

Bird ornaments, from Last Minute Patchwork Gifts, sewn by The Finished Garment — Look what I found!

That meant that only one thing was missing – birds! I couldn’t count on the local wildlife to pop in for my photo shoot, so I made three little birds using the pattern from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, and the leftover scraps from the other pieces.

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to visit the other amazing sewists on our blog hop!

Warp & Weft Wildwood Blog Hop

September 26 – Carla from My 1/2 Dozen Daily
September 27 – Cynthia from Cynthiaf
September 28 – Lysa from Lysa Flower
September 29 – Cathy from Blueberry Patch
September 30 – Esmari from Warp & Weft
October 1 – Me!
October 2 – Heidi from Elegance & Elephants
October 3 – Sherri from Thread Riding Hood

Summary

Patterns:

Blouse: McCall’s 6388 available in sizes 2-8, but now out-of-print. I made the size 6.
Skirt and bag: From Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン　おんなの子服　おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe à panneaux” (panel skirt) in size 120, and the “#7 Sac tube” (tube bag).
Bird ornament: From Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.

Fabric:

Full Bloom in Indigo from the Wildwood collection by Elizabeth Olwen for Cloud9 Fabrics, courtesy Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.
Essex linen in Natural by Robert Kaufman Fabrics, also courtesy Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.

Sewing Level: Confident beginner.
Modifications: I shortened the skirt, by 2″.
Results: Great!

Summer Skirts

We’re just experiencing the last bit of summer here, so I’m taking the opportunity to show you one of my very last summer projects – two fun summer skirts.

The Sunday Brunch A-line Skirt sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment — These skirts are super popular with my girls.

I used the Sunday Brunch A-line Skirt by Oliver + S, which I’ve used before, and quite like.

It’s a very quick, easy pattern, and makes a nice, basic skirt. I made this in sizes 4 and 6. The only changes I made were to lengthen the size 4 by one inch, and the size 6 by two inches, and lower the kick pleat to match. I also added the pockets from the Oliver + S Sandbox Pants, to the back of the larger skirt.

I used stash fabric for both skirts, leftover from other projects. This pattern takes a little under 3/4 of a yard of fabric, per skirt, which is what I had.

It’s a great pattern if you have just a little bit of fabric left over. But unfortunately, it meant that pattern matching was out of the question. Since this fabric would have been wasted otherwise, and these skirts were meant for casual fun, that seemed fine, this time around. I settled for an absence of awkward print placement, but I had to trace out the pieces with chalk a couple times in the size 6, to get that right.

The skirts are a big hit and seem to get worn at least once a week, which is a lot with my sometimes finicky kids.

This project was part of the Sewcialist Scraptember Sew Along and the Stashbusting Sew Along Kid Challenge.

Summary

Pattern Review: Sunday Brunch A-line Skirt by Oliver + S available in sizes 6m-8.
Fabric:

Bella Flower in Blue by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics, courtesy Warp & Weft Exquisite Textiles.
Scoot Scoot in Blue from the Havana collection by Monaluna (organic).

Sizes: 4 and 6.
Cost: Pattern: 0$. Fabric: 0$ (all was leftover pieces from other projects).
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I lengthened the skirt, by 1-2″, depending on the size, and lowered the kick pleat.
Results: Great. These were fast, are super comfortable, and are now in heavy rotation.